A look at some 3D printed exterior and interior fire extinguishers from SBS Model, for use on practically all British Army AFVs and trucks of the Second World War.
- £6.07 (as reviewed)
- SBS-3D015
- 1/35th scale
- Available from Super Hobby
Well, I must be honest. As much as I love fine detail, I was always quite happy with fitting the kit fire extinguishers to British tanks and trucks. OK, so the strap detail can't be replicated without slide moulding, because of its position, but I chose to overlook that.
But I changed my mind when I was trying to paint the pair on an AFV Club Churchill, which had been detailed in other ways, and the kit parts were unconvincing in comparison to the better areas of the model. So I carefully cut them off and bought a couple of sets from Panzer Art (cast resin) and SBS (printed).
These won easily. This is one of the best 3D prints which I have purchased so far. Every little detail is perfectly replicated on both types. Looking very closely, there are some minor layer lines to smooth off from the exterior type and a couple of small surface imperfections to fill. The supports are thin enough and the resin is not too brittle to handle easily. Some 3D print companies should take note of that last point. Over all, their preparation was easy.
The set is on the minimal side, with only one pair each for the exterior of armoured vehicles and interior of most vehicles. It is good value if you only want to detail, say, one tank and one truck cab. But I would have liked to see SBS include two pairs of the exterior type, since I'm sure to want more of them, and I would be fine with a proportional price increase.
That limitation is the only factor which prevents a perfect score, but in any case this product certainly has my recommendation.
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